Iconic Tennis Personality’s Tragic 2006 Demise Turns Coco Gauff’s Famed Consultant Emotional as He Remembers … – EssentiallySports

It is often said that some people leave us too soon. When we thought that they were here to stay, God had some other plans for them. The same was the case with Walt Landers, a prominent therapist who passed away back in 2006. One of the most shining souls in the world of tennis, he joined hands with some of the most prominent names in the tennis world. Mourning the loss of such a pure soul, Coco Gauff‘s head coach Brad Gilbert took to Twitter.

In a recent revelation, the American head coach took to X (formerly Twitter) to talk about the importance that Walters had.

Coco Gauff’s head coach Brad Gilbert mourns the loss of Walt Landers

Recently, Brad Gilbert took to his social media to post a tweet where he mourned the loss of one of his friends, Walt Landers. Unfortunately, in 2006, the tennis world mourned the loss of Walt Landers. Born in Poland, Walt was  popularly known as the ‘Hurricane.‘ He transitioned from a successful cycling career to becoming a crucial figure in professional tennis. Joining the scene in 1990, he made a great mark as a physical trainer and massage therapist.

Not only this, he worked closely with an illustrious roster of players which included Andre Agassi, Pete Sampras, Marat Safin, Yevgeny Kafelnikov, and Hewitt.

His enthusiasm extended far beyond the court. A marathon runner, Walt conquered courses across the globe, often starting his days with hours of roadwork before matches began. Walt Landers left an enduring legacy, one that was purely based on hours of hard work, dedication, and pure concentration on the tennis court.

Talking about the demise of such a legend, Ivan Ljubicic, a former ATP pro came ahead and talked about the impact back in 2006 while paying tribute to him.

Ivan Ljubicic paid tribute to Landers during his match

During his match back in 2006, Ivan Ljubicic wore a black band on his arms to mourn the loss of one of the legends of the game. He wore a black armband during his second-round win over Florian Mayer at the BA-CA Tennis Trophy in Vienna and later paid tribute to Landers.

“His passing came so unexpectedly and left us ill prepared for this task. We never had a chance to say goodbye to Walt in person, never even had an inkling that something might be wrong with him,” said Ljubicic.

Thus, the tennis world dealt with a major loss as one of the legends bid adieu from the world. Despite playing any single match, the legacy that he left behind in the tennis world was massive and even till today, he is remembered.

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